Whooptie whoop, blog buddies!

I made it safely to Palm Springs with my beloved best friend Kim last night. We're here for the weekend to just hang out and eat and drink and maybe go to a casino and for sure go to the outlet malls.

Last night we went to one of our favorite bars here in Palm Springs.

Why is this particular bar one of our favorites? Are the people who work there nice? Yes, but that's not it. Do they make good drinks? Yes, but that's not it either. The reason why we like this particular bar is because...

THEY HAVE TRIVIA AT THE BAR!!!

Seriously, it's SO cool. They give you a remote and you can play against other people in the bar, PLUS you can also play against people from other bars all over the world. It is SO fun and it makes me feel good about myself when I know useless trivia like "Ted Danson's character Sam from Cheers used to be a player for which professional baseball team?" Duh. The Boston Red Sox. Duh.

Now we're off to get a healthy lunch (we had an "incident" with season fries and a moon over my hammy at Denny's last night) on our way to the outlet malls. Wish me luck, gang!

And don't forget - it's time to send in your nominations for BLOGGER OF THE MONTH!

What's BLOGGER OF THE MONTH? Click HERE to find out! Send your nominations to me at: ross@rossmathews.net!

Don't forget to keep sponsoring me as I get ready to walk in AIDS WALK LA on October 15th!

So far we've raised... $600.00 online and another $40.00 have been mailed in to me!!!

Again, whooptie whoop, you guys!

You can sponsor me online by clicking HERE (in increments of $25 only) or mail in your cash or check donation of any amount ($1, $5, $10 - every bit helps!) to me at this address:

Ross Mathews - AIDS WALK LA Donation
The Tonight Show
Suite 2190
3000 West Alameda
Burbank, CA 91523

Make your checks out to: AIDS WALK LA.

Or you can go HERE, download the donation form, and send your donation directly to AIDS WALK LA.

Also, click HERE for more general info on AIDS WALK LA.

Until tomorrow!
Ross

Click HERE for our CHAT ROOM.
Click HERE for my official MySpace page.

Hola blog buddies!

Umm... I'm back on Starbucks. I lasted 2 days, but then yesterday I had the longest day in the world and I totally caved. Also, I'm going out of town this weekend and will need to be grabbing coffee on-the-go, so I decided to let myself have Starbucks through the weekend. My "quitting the hard stuff" attempt will continue after the weekend. I promise.

In other news...

You heard it here first! I'm on The Tonight Show this coming Wednesday!!! So mark your calendar, stay up late or set your VCRs or TIVOs! We'll be airing the segment I shot a couple months ago at the Lumberjack World Championships (click HERE for behind the scenes blog entries from that shoot).

Speaking of The Tonight Show, I spent all day yesterday shooting two - count 'em TWO - Tonight Show segments with announcer John Melendez. We spent the early part of the day helping get everything ready for Cher's upcoming auction. Seriously. I helped to put some of her famous Bob Mackie gowns on mannequins. I was also covered in glitter all day after trying on some of her wigs. I'm the luckiest boy in the world.

Luckily, it didn't matter that I was covered in glitter because John and I spent the latter part of our day shooting a separate Tonight Show segment at the Macy's Passport Fashion Show - a celebrity event to raise money to fight AIDS. Some of the celebs in attendance were Sharon Stone (who couldn't have been sweeter), P. Diddy (always a doll) and frickin' Dame Elizabeth Taylor (yeah... I got to interview her... more to come a little later in today's blog entry...).

One of the designers in the fashion show were my friends, Heatherette. Now, if you know anything about current runway fashion, you know who Heatherette is: they're flashy and fun and ridiculously wonderful. Richie Rich and Trevor are the two masterminds behind the label. Here are John and I with the boys.

(John, me, Trevor and Richie Rich)

Then a dream of mine totally came true. On my first day of living in Los Angeles, after moving here alone for college, I walked into the commons area in my dorm and turned on the TV. What I saw has changed my everyday life forever. It was a local morning show called Good Day LA and I was instantly hooked. One of the reasons is because of Jilianne Barberie, the show's meteorologist. She is FANTASTIC - funny, edgy, smart, sassy. I'm obsessed with her. Well, she was there last night and I met her. I'm in LOVE!

Cute, right?!?

Then it was time for me to interview Dame Elizabeth Taylor. Now, let me just tell you, it is NEVER easy to interview icons. Well, at least, it's never easy for ME to interview icons because I'm just a funny little monkey who says silly things and these people are LIVING LEGENDS. I've been privileged enough to meet some living legends in my life like Walter Cronkite, Sidney Poitier, Dame Judi Dench, Bill Cosby, Oprah Winfrey and more. And each time after I interview a living legend, I feel like I blew it. But never before have I blown it like I blew it with Dame Elizabeth Taylor.

I won't go into too much detail because it will be better when you see it on TV, but the worst two moments went like this:

Me: So tell me about tonight.
ET: Well, go in and find out for yourself.
Me: I hear they have free alcohol inside! (It dawns on me that she's a recovering addict) Umm... I mean, for me... umm...
ET: (Slowly and with pitty in her voice) Does that turn you on?
Me: Uhh...

And

Me: Can I take a picture of you and me together for my blog?
ET: For your... what?

Yeah. It could not have been more awkward. Seriously. I'm an idiot.

Her "people" took a picture with their camera and promised to send it to me. If they ever really do, I'll post it here. I did, however, snap this picture when she came out on stage to speak.

The only comfort I take is in knowing that even Oprah once said that her worst interview ever was when she interviewed Dame Elizabeth Taylor, too.

Oopsies!

And, finally, here's a pic of me with the Tonight Show crew who works so hard to make everything happen behind the scenes!

(Kenny the audio guy, Kevin the camera guy, Scott the talent handler guy, me the living legend pisser offer guy, Anthony the writer/director guy and Gabby the production assistant girl).

And don't forget - it's time to send in your nominations for BLOGGER OF THE MONTH!

What's BLOGGER OF THE MONTH? Click HERE to find out! Send your nominations to me at: ross@rossmathews.net!

Don't forget to keep sponsoring me as I get ready to walk in AIDS WALK LA on October 15th!

So far we've raised... $600.00 online and another $40.00 have been mailed in to me!!!

That's amazing, you guys!!!

You can sponsor me online by clicking HERE (in increments of $25 only) or mail in your cash or check donation of any amount ($1, $5, $10 - every bit helps!) to me at this address:

Ross Mathews - AIDS WALK LA Donation
The Tonight Show
Suite 2190
3000 West Alameda
Burbank, CA 91523

Make your checks out to: AIDS WALK LA.

Or you can go HERE, download the donation form, and send your donation directly to AIDS WALK LA.

Also, click HERE for more general info on AIDS WALK LA.

In a little bit, Kim and I are headed to Palm Springs for the weekend. Expect pictures of our journey along the way. Fun!

Until tomorrow, blog buddies!
Ross

Click HERE for our CHAT ROOM.
Click HERE for my official MySpace page.

Happy Thursday, gang!

Are you all ready for Grey's Anatomy tonight?!? I am, but I'm also super excited about the premiere of Ugly Betty - have you seen the previews for it?!? It looks so so so good!

GOD I love TV.

I got up early this morning because I have a lot of work to do today - I'm shooting parts of 2 different upcoming Tonight Show segments! I'm not going to get into specifics now (mainly because I'm in a hurry), but I'll be taking pictures all day and will post some tomorrow.

Tonight, after I finish shooting with The Tonight Show, I'm going to start packing because I'm leaving tomorrow for Palm Springs with my best friend, Kim!!! I went to Palm Springs for the first time a few years ago when they asked me to be a judge for Miss Teen USA and I fell in love with it. Even though it's WAY too hot there, there's just something about it - like I can totally picture myself living there later in life when I'm an artsty fartsy silver fox. Kim and I are going to spend the weekend going to the outlet malls, going to some casinos and quite possibly eating and drinking a bit too much. Fun! But don't fret blogaholics - I'll be blogging the entire time I'm gone! :)

I never really go on vacation, but when I do I like to go to places that are close and easy and not super expensive (I have a mortgage, people!) - places like Palm Springs and Santa Barbara. Where are easy/fun/cheap places that YOU like to go to unwind?!?

Oh! And it's that time again - time to send in your nominations for BLOGGER OF THE MONTH!

What's BLOGGER OF THE MONTH? Click HERE to find out! Send your nominations to me at: ross@rossmathews.net!

Don't forget to keep sponsoring me as I get ready to walk in AIDS WALK LA on October 15th!

So far we've raised... $550.00 online and another $40.00 have been mailed in to me!!!

That's grrrrrrrreat!

You can sponsor me online by clicking HERE (in increments of $25 only) or mail in your cash or check donation of any amount ($1, $5, $10 - every bit helps!) to me at this address:

Ross Mathews - AIDS WALK LA Donation
The Tonight Show
Suite 2190
3000 West Alameda
Burbank, CA 91523

Make your checks out to: AIDS WALK LA.

Or you can go HERE, download the donation form, and send your donation directly to AIDS WALK LA.

Also, click HERE for more general info on AIDS WALK LA.

Okay, gang. I'm off to pick out 2 different outfits and iron them (I have to have 2 different outfits because we're shooting parts of 2 different segments and they need to look different).

Until tomorrow, blog buddies!
Ross

Click HERE for our CHAT ROOM.
Click HERE for my official MySpace page.

Happy Wednesday, blog buddies!

This is my 2nd day without Starbucks and it's already getting easier. However, I have never been a fan of hot beverages, so drinking the hot coffee made with my coffee machine at home is taking some getting used to. My mouth is seriously burned.

My thoughts are still a little cloudy, though, and I don't have anything to blog about today - it hurts to think. So, instead, I thought I'd call on YOU, my beloved bloggers, to help me out. Let's have our first installment of ROSS BLOG SHOW n' TELL!

How does ROSS BLOG SHOW n' TELL work?!? It's easy! I'll ask you to share something and (hopefully) you'll do it. :)

Today's ROSS BLOG SHOW n' TELL:

What was the very first joke you ever remember learning?

I have two (I can't remember which one I learned first):

There were 2 flies on a toilet seat. 1 got pissed off.

and

Knock knock. (Who's there?) Banana. (Banana who?) Knock knock. (Who's there?) Banana. (Banana who?) Knock knock. (Who's there?) Banana. (Banana who?) Knock knock. (Who's there?) Orange. (Orange who?) Orange you glad I didn't say "banana"?

Neither is necessarily funny, but that's not really the point. They were my first jokes.

What was the first joke(s) YOU learned?!? Go post it in our COMMENT section (below).

I think laughing and finding things funny is one of THE MOST important tools to get through life. Let's give each other a boost today!

Click HERE for our CHAT ROOM.
Click HERE for my official MySpace page.

Until tomorrow, blog buddies!
Ross

Happy Tuesday, blog buddies.

Everything's sort of foggy today. Why? Because today is day 1 of me quitting... Starbucks. I'm not quitting coffee in general. I'm just quitting Starbucks. Not all together - if I want to treat myself on occasion, I can, but on an everyday level I'm quitting.

I bought a coffee maker for my house and I'm going to drink coffee at home in the mornings and take coffee with me in a travel mug when I leave for work. The "old fashioned" way.

Reminder: I'm not quitting coffee. There's a difference between coffee made at home and the power-house that is an iced vente Americano from Starbucks (basically just 4 espresso shots over ice). Quitting coffee altogether, I fear, would send me into a crazed rampage or a deep depression. I'm not stupid. Just ambitious.

This might be the dumbest decision I've ever made in my entire life.

Yesterday it was a fantastic idea. I made the decision in Target as I browsed the coffee maker aisle. When I picked up one of the boxes and read the information printed on it, I noticed that it said, "You can program your coffee maker to have coffee ready for you when you wake up!"

I suddenly had a day dream of me waking up in the morning to the strong aroma of freshly brewed coffee, getting out of bed, pouring a cup, and being a grown-up. I was instantly transplanted to being 8 years old, camping with my family, and waking up at 5 am to the sounds and smells of my mom or dad making coffee with an old percolator.

This may sound like a snap decision, but it's not. I've wanted to quit Starbucks for some time now... like 3 years. In fact, the coffee maker was even a birthday present from my mom (she knew what I wanted and sent me the money so I could buy it myself).

Why do I want to quit Starbucks? I want to quit for a few reasons, really, but mainly because of... MONEY.

I've gotten an iced vente Americano every day since I graduated college in May of 2002. I've done the math:

4 years and 3 months = 51 months.
51 months = (roughly) 1530 days.
1530 times $2.40 a day = $3,672

Freakin' $3,672.

ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?

If I had saved that money and had just had coffee at home, I could have spent it on so many more useful things. Like:

3,672 items at a 99-cent store.
Or
Any or THESE CARS.
Or
461.89 dozen plastic Hawaiian leis (click HERE).
Or
617 dozen rubber duckies (click HERE).
Or
1107 mini donkey pinata's (click HERE).

You get the idea.

So that's why I'm doing it: to streamline my spending and be a grown-up. Because, after all, the best part of waking up is money in my cup.

Is there anything in YOUR life that YOU should cut out? Have YOU done the math?!?

Speaking of spending money, you still have time to sponsor me as I walk in AIDS WALK LA!!!

So far we've raised... $550.00!!!

You can sponsor me online by clicking HERE (in increments of $25 only) or mail in your cash or check donation of any amount ($1, $5, $10 - every bit helps!) to me at this address:

Ross Mathews - AIDS WALK LA Donation
The Tonight Show
Suite 2190
3000 West Alameda
Burbank, CA 91523

Make your checks out to: AIDS WALK LA.

Or you can go HERE, download the donation form, and send your donation directly to AIDS WALK LA.

Also, click HERE for more general info on AIDS WALK LA.

Until tomorrow, blog buddies!
Ross

Click HERE for our CHAT ROOM.
Click HERE for my official MySpace page.

I have a headache.

Happy day-after-my-birthday, blog buddies!

Yesterday was SUCH a great day. First, I woke up in the morning and was told about the special website that so many of you bloggers participated in (click HERE).

Then, at about 1 o'clock, my best friend Kim came over to help me finish getting ready and kicked off "ROSS' B'DAY 2006: 21 again..."

Here's how the party worked: from 1ish-6, football (go Seahawks!) and pizza and drinks at my house, and then at 6ish we moved the party to one of my favorite karaoke bars.

I was SO thrilled to see how many friends and family showed up! Don't worry, however, my dear blog buddies - I took pictures for you! These are just some of the people who helped make yesterday one of my best birthdays EVER!

Here I am with some of my college friends who made it to the party!

From left to right: Amanda, Lora, me, Andi and Ryan.

Here I am with my cousin Karla and my best friend Kim!

We all watched the Seahawks trump the NY Giants, listened to Justin Timberlake, got a little tipsy, and chatted for hours! Even some of my new neighbors came over to celebrate. Can I just say - I'm like one of the luckiest people in the world to have such great/kind neighbors and friends!

Then it was time to move the party to the karaoke bar. I was totally 100% uninhibited last night. I think I sang like 8 songs or something. Here's the list of songs I can remember singing:

Whitney Houston's "The Greatest Love of All"
Journey's "Don't Stop Believing"
Christina Aguilera's "Beautiful"
Bonnie Raitt's "Let's Give 'em Something to Talk About"
Sonny and Cher's "I Got You Babe"
Peter Paul and Mary's "Puff the Magic Dragon"

Umm... and I know there were more, but I can't remember.

A couple of them were duets. Here I am singing "Beautiful" with my friend Dan.

And here I am performing "Puff the Magic Dragon" with my friend Luke.

I think it's unanimous - I have the voice of an angel.

Then it was time for my favorite part of my birthday - cake time! I know I'm on a diet, but COME ON - it's my friggin' birthday, people! Here I am blowing out the candles.

The cake was made by my best friend Kim's boyfriend (who doesn't want to be pictured on this blog and wishes to be referred to by his pseudonym, "Dietrich Underpants"). It's my favorite kind - carrot cake. Yummy!!! And why is it that homemade cake usually tastes SO much better than store-bought? Here's a close up.

YUMMY!!!

I want to thank all of you, my blog buddies, for all of your birthday wishes. You all helped to make yesterday a very very special day.

But remember - just because my birthday is over doesn't mean that you can stop sponsoring me as I get ready to walk in AIDS WALK LA on October 15th!

So far we've raised... $550.00!!!

You can sponsor me online by clicking HERE (in increments of $25 only) or mail in your cash or check donation of any amount ($1, $5, $10 - every bit helps!) to me at this address:

Ross Mathews - AIDS WALK LA Donation
The Tonight Show
Suite 2190
3000 West Alameda
Burbank, CA 91523

Make your checks out to: AIDS WALK LA.

Or you can go HERE, download the donation form, and send your donation directly to AIDS WALK LA.

Also, click HERE for more general info on AIDS WALK LA.

Okay, gang. Now I'm off to take a nap and sleep off my carrot cake hangover.

Until tomorrow!
Ross

Click HERE for our CHAT ROOM.
Click HERE for my official MySpace page.

AHHH!!!!!

The party "officially" started 10 minutes ago.

No one's here yet.

Thank God, 'cuz I'm still vacuuming. And chopping vegetables. And ironing.

AHHH!!!!

BIG THANKS to ALL you bloggers who called in and left me a voice mail on the special birthday page created by prior BLOGGER OF THE MONTH and regular around these parts, Joey From SC.

Click HERE to see what I'm talking about!

I was SO SO SO touched! I can't believe you all went to so much trouble. THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!

Waking up this morning to such a treat was a great start to what I hope is a great day... unless, of course I chop off my fingers or vacuum up Louise or burn a hole in my shirt, so I'd better go!

Pictures and more tomorrow!!!

THANKS AGAIN SO SO SO SO SO MUCH!
Ross

Happy Saturday/day-before-my-birthday, blog buddies!

I'm running around like crazy today - cleaning the house, going to Costco to buy party supplies in bulk, trying to find something perfect to wear tomorrow, etc...

Here's how the party's going to work tomorrow: during the day people can come over to my house for pizza and chicken and drinks and football. Then around 6 the party is moving to my favorite Karaoke bar. Some people are coming to just the first part of the party, some to just the 2nd part, and some are sticking around for both parts.

Last night I thought to myself, "You should call the karaoke bar to make sure they're open on Sunday just in case..."

Here's how the conversation went:

Karaoke Bar Guy: Hello?

Me: Hi. I was just curious - are you guys open on Sunday?

Karaoke Bar Guy: Yep. We open at 3pm.

Me: Perfect! I'll see you around 6 on Sunday!

Karaoke Bar Guy: Sounds good. Bye.

Me: Bye!

Karaoke Bar Guy: Oh, and remember - karaoke doesn't start until 9pm. (Click)

Me: Wha?!?!?

Then I panicked. Nearly 30 people were expecting a karaoke party at 6pm on Sunday and now - 2 nights before the party - stupid me FINALLY checks to see if the place is open and it turns out that we'll all have to sit around waiting for 3 hours before anyone can sing!!! AHHHH!!!H!H!H!H!H!HH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Then it hit me - there was only one option. I had to do something I've never done before. I had to pull out the big guns. I had to say "This is Ross from The Tonight Show..."

You guys, I swear - I don't think I'm "the sh*t." In fact, I couldn't think I was further from "the sh*t" than I already do. People are always telling me, "You need to go to the front of the line and tell them who you are" but I won't. It makes me uncomfortable because I'm always convinced that nobody will know who I am.

Every once in a while, I'll get a table at a restaurant without a reservation or will get a free drink at a bar because someone recognizes me, but never because I say, "Do you know who I am?"

But this was my BIRTHDAY PARTY we're talking about, right? So I called back. This is exactly how it went:

Karaoke Bar Guy: Hello?

Me: Umm... hi. I just called like 2 minutes ago and asked if you were open Sunday. Remember me?

Karaoke Bar Guy: Oh, yeah. How are you?

Me: Umm... fine. Okay, here's the deal. So I'm an idiot and planned my birthday party there on Sunday at 6pm. My name is Ross. I come in there all the time. Is there any way I could pay someone to come in early and maybe start the karaoke stuff sooner?

Karaoke Bar Guy: Umm... let me get the owner. (Rumble rumble rumble... people talking in the background...)

Karaoke Bar Owner: Hello?

Me: Hi. My name is Ross. I come in there all the time and I was hoping to have my birthday party there this Sunday at 6 and -

Karaoke Bar Owner: I know who you are.

Me: You do? I'm Ross. I work on The Tonight -

Karaoke Bar Owner: Show. I know. Listen, I'll come in myself and start karaoke at 6pm for you.

Me: SERIOUSLY?!?!?!?

Karaoke Bar Owner: Seriously.

Me: THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!

Karaoke Bar Owner: No problem! See you Sunday!

Can you believe that, you guys?!? I guess even though I'm on a diet, my name still carries some weight! Or not. Whatever. I have to go - I have a friggin' party to plan!!!

I want to extend a HUGE THANK YOU to ALL of you who have sponsored me as I walk in AIDS WALK LA. So far we've raised...

$450.00!!!

AMAZING!!!

You can sponsor me online by clicking HERE (in increments of $25 only) or mail in your cash or check donation of any amount ($1, $5, $10 - every bit helps!) to me at this address:

Ross Mathews - AIDS WALK LA Donation
The Tonight Show
Suite 2190
3000 West Alameda
Burbank, CA 91523

Make your checks out to: AIDS WALK LA.

Or you can go HERE, download the donation form, and send your donation directly to AIDS WALK LA.

Also, click HERE for more general info on AIDS WALK LA.

Until tomorrow, blog buddies!
Ross

Click HERE for our CHAT ROOM.
Click HERE for my official MySpace page.

Happy Friday, blog buddies!

Generally, I have great instincts. If I get a bad feeling about a freeway, I'll take another route. Later, I'll learn there was horrible traffic on the freeway I didn't take. If I meet someone and get a bad vibe, later I'll find out that that person was arrested for shoplifting (true story). If I think to myself, "I should grab my umbrella just in case", it'll rain.

However, there is one specific situation in which my instincts will always inevitably fail me: picking a line at the grocery store.

I'm not kidding. There could be a line at one register 15 carts long and, at another register, only one person buying a Snickers. The logical choice in my mind is to get in the line with just one person. But some how - SOME HOW - that one person doesn't know how to use an ATM card or doesn't speak English or wants to exchange his Snickers for a Butterfinger or the cash register is broken or the cashier's shift is over and they need to count their drawer before the next cashier takes over. And EVERY TIME I stand there and watch the 15 carts in the other line breeze through as I wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait and wait.

You think I'm kidding? I'm really not. If I'm shopping with a friend and they ask, "What line?", I always always always say, "YOU PICK."

It used to drive me crazy, but it doesn't even really faze me anymore - I'm used to it. I'm like the Sylvia Browne of grocery stores.

But, as I waited 10 minutes in the express line yesterday for the woman in front of me to get a price check on Pepto-Bismol (again, true story), I began to wonder - am I the only person in the world who has this... affliction?

Is there anything that YOU do that you KNOW will turn out the same way every time no matter what? Are YOUR instincts ever wrong in specific situations? Or am I just crazy? Maybe a little bit of both?

In other news...

Hallelujah. Last night was the return of new Thursday night TV! Did you watch? Didya didya?!? I watched My Name is Earl, The Office and Grey's Anatomy and loved each one. My favorite part of the night? When McDreamy told Meredith he loved her. Single tear and Idon'tevencare...

I want to extend a HUGE THANK YOU to ALL of you who have sponsored me as I walk in AIDS WALK LA. You'll never guess how much we've raised so far (in just 2 days). Go ahead. Guess. You'll never guess...

$375.00!!!

Wow, right?!?

You can sponsor me online by clicking HERE (in increments of $25 only) or mail in your cash or check donation of any amount ($1, $5, $10 - every bit helps!) to me at this address:

Ross Mathews - AIDS WALK LA Donation
The Tonight Show
Suite 2190
3000 West Alameda
Burbank, CA 91523

Make your checks out to: AIDS WALK LA.

Or you can go HERE, download the donation form, and send your donation directly to AIDS WALK LA.

Also, click HERE for more general info on AIDS WALK LA.

Tomorrow I'm going to Costco to buy a bunch of crap for my birthday party on Sunday. I'm getting SO excited!!!

Tonight I'm forcing myself to get out of the house and be social. But I don't know where or with whom. Cut to me sitting at a bar alone binging on pretzels. Oh well.

Have a GREAT Friday, blogaroonies!
Until tomorrow!
Ross

Click HERE for our CHAT ROOM.
Click HERE for my official MySpace page.

Howdy-ho, blog buddies!

I've been doing SO well on my new healthy living lifestyle - more salads, less fat, more chicken breasts, less fat, more fruit, less fat. It's been nearly a week and I hadn't once cheated or messed up... until last night. I went shopping at Trader Joe's and somehow a bag of garlic and parmesan pita chips fell into my cart. When I got home, the bag magically opened and nearly the entire bag disappeared as I sat on the couch and watched America's Next Top Model.

Ugh. I feel so ucky, so disappointed in myself. But I've decided that I shouldn't have to live in a world that doesn't allow me to eat garlic and parmesan pita chips. It's not fair. So I've come to terms with the fact that I need to do more on my part. If I want garlic and parmesan pita chips to be part of my life, I'm going to have to... start going to the gym. Gulp.

I already have a gym membership. In fact, I've had a membership for 3 years and I pay the bill every month. Why do I keep paying the membership fee if I've only been to the gym maybe 30 times in the past 3 years? Because it keeps the dream alive.

And today it begins - I am going to the gym and I am going to work out and I am going to keep eating sensibly and I am going to keep making little mistakes but, because I am going to go to the gym and I am going to work out, I am going to lose weight and I am going to build muscle and, in time, I am going to look like this:

Wow. Does that picture make anybody else really uncomfortalbe... in a good way? I look AMAZING!

I hope I'm able to work out, though, because my leg is pretty badly banged up. Why? Because I have new bedroom furniture and my new bed sticks out a bit further than it did before. So now, every time I walk by it, I hit my shin REALLY hard in the same spot. The first time I hit it, I screamed and thought, "Oh my God, this has got to be worse than childbirth." I've hit it again in the same spot about 20 times since then. Oh well.

I want to thank ALL of you who have wished me a happy birthday (the real day is this Sunday, September 24th) and especially those of you who have given me the gift of sponsoring me as I walk in AIDS WALK LA on October 15th. So far, we've raised $250.00 in just one day! That's amazing, you guys! THANK YOU!

You can sponsor me online by clicking HERE (in increments of $25 only) or mail in your cash or check donation of any amount ($1, $5, $10 - every bit helps!) to me at this address:

Ross Mathews - AIDS WALK LA Donation
The Tonight Show
Suite 2190
3000 West Alameda
Burbank, CA 91523

Make your checks out to: AIDS WALK LA.

Or you can go HERE, download the donation form, and send your donation directly to AIDS WALK LA.

Also, click HERE for more general info on AIDS WALK LA.

So, like I said, my birthday is coming up this Sunday and I'm planning the party right now. The day is going to be spent watching football and eating yummy food and then at night we're all going to a place I always feel at home: a karaoke bar!!!

As many of you know, I have the voice of an angel. As a gift to my party guests, I'm planning on serenading them with a tune or two, but I want to make sure they're the PERFECT songs. Right now I'm thinking about Let's Get Physical or Welcome to the Jungle, but I'm not married to either.

Here's where YOU come in. What song(s) do you think would be PERFECT for me to sing to my party guests?!?

Oh. And in today's GOOD NEWS/BAD NEWS, I heard on the radio today that McDonald's is going to be serving breakfast all day long from now on. The bad news? I can't eat it.

Until tomorrow, blogaroonies!
Ross

Click HERE for our CHAT ROOM.
Click HERE for my official MySpace page.

Hola Blogaroonies!

So, last night I went out to dinner and drinks with my co-worker/office mate/ friend Daria for the first time. I was a little nervous initially because I was worried what would happen if we didn't hit it off socially as well as we do professionally. Then I remembered that our jobs don't have the restrictions of most real jobs, so everyday is like hanging out with a friend.

Needless to say, I needn't have worried - we had a fantastic time. Daria met me at my house and we headed out for one of my favorite restaurant. Traffic was horrible, so I got a little frustrated...

... but luckily Daria's beautiful face calmed me down.

Once to the restaurant, we instantly ordered a drink and toasted our transition.

(Daria drinks SUCH girly drinks).

Since we've both dedicated ourselves to a brand new healthy living lifestyle, we both just ordered salads - hers a Chinese variation and mine a leafy/blue cheese/vinaigrette version. But then we thought, "Oh screw it - let's get frozen yogurt."

Talk about a girl after my own heart...

In other news...

I got up EARLY this morning. No, I mean REALLY REALLY EARLY. 5am EARLY. Why? Because I spent 3 hours on the phone this morning doing tons and tons and tons of radio interviews to promote WHO WANTS TO BE A TONIGHT SHOW CORRESPONDENT?

What's that? Well, just like I got plucked from obscurity nearly 5 years ago and put on national television, The Tonight Show wants to know... WHO WANTS TO BE A TONIGHT SHOW CORRESPONDENT?

Here's what you do: make a video (no longer than 3 minutes). Be funny. Be you. Maybe go "Jaywalking" in your neighborhood? Then send that video to us or upload it on The Tonight Show website. Writers and producers will sort through the submissions and who knows - maybe YOU'LL be the next Tonight Show correspondent! Click HERE for more info.

Also, everybody wanted to know - does this mean that I'll be on the show less? HELL NO, PEOPLE! I'm here to stay - get used to it! :)

Doing the radio interviews was really cool. Here's how it works: I call into a center and an operator stays on the line with me the entire time and connects me to each individual radio station. After the interview is done, the operator comes back on the line and says something like, "Okay Ross, now I'll be dialing WBCR in Virginia..."

I don't know who had a harder time - me (having to say everything over and over and over and over again) or my wonderful operator, Carol (who had to listen to me say everything over and over and over and over again).

I want to thank all of you who have sent birthday wishes! Even some of the people who interviewed me on the radio wished me a happy birthday. HOWEVER, I think there may be some confusion! Everybody thinks my birthday was yesterday, the 19th. Umm...

My birthday isn't until this Sunday, September 24th!!! So there's STILL time to wish me a happy birthday! :)

Actually, if you want to do something for my birthday, I implore you to sponsor me as I walk in AIDS WALK LA a few weeks from now on October 15, 2006!

(Click HERE for more info on AIDS WALK LA).

You can sponsor me online, but I think you can only make donations online in $25 increments. Click HERE to sponsor me online.

However, every bit helps, so you can also send in your cash or check donations to me at work to this address:

Ross Mathews - AIDS WALK LA DONATION
The Tonight Show
3000 West Alameda
Suite 2190
Burbank, CA 91523

$1, $5, $10 - whatever. Every bit helps. I would consider any support you could offer an amazing birthday present.

Make your checks out to: AIDS WALK LA.

Or you can go HERE, download the donation form, and send your donation directly to AIDS WALK LA.

Also, GOOD NEWS BLOG BUDDIES! You may remember that back on September 7th I set in motion a plan for us to hit A QUARTER OF A MILLION HITS BY THE END OF THE YEAR!

Back on that day, we had a total of 70,016 hits since our blog launched on the nbc.com sight last August 8th. Well, as of last night, our NEW total is...

(dum dum dum dah...)

122, 795 hits!!!

We're on our way, baby!

Thanks, everyone!
Until tomorrow!
Ross

PS - Maybe becoming friends with your co-workers isn't such a great idea. The ENTIRE time I was trying to write today's blog, Daria WOULD NOT leave me alone. Seriously. I've been making fun of her all day about the RANDOM things she's been trying to talk to me about. Here's a list of some things she's said to me across the room as I've been trying to work:

"Do you think Mischa Barton is pretty?"
"Do you have a good meatloaf recipe?"
"Have you ever used Google Earth?"
"Who invented YouTube?"
Etc...

Seriously. You've gotta love her.

Click HERE for our CHAT ROOM.
Click HERE for my official MySpace page.

Hey, blog buddies!

Good news! If you read yesterday's blog entry you know that I've been on the prowl for new bedroom furniture. Well, after work yesterday I went furniture hunting once again. This time, however, on a tip from my office mate/co-worker/friend Daria, I headed out to the valley to some furniture discount warehouse places and guess what - I totally found a set that I loved that was in my price range and they're delivering it TODAY! Fun, right?!?

So I'm "working" from home today, which basically means that I'm doing little bits of work in between moving all of my old furniture out of my bedroom and deciding whether or not to find a new home for it or to (literally) kick it to the curb.

Last night I watched the premiere episode of Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip and I am HOOKED! I love love loved it! Did you watch? What did you think?

Also, I don't know about you, but I thought yesterday's episode of Oprah was one of the most brilliant things I have ever seen! Who knew that Gayle would totally be just as entertaining as Oprah! My favorite part was when Gayle wouldn't get out of the car until the Celine Dion song was over. That is SO me.

Tonight Daria, the office mate/co-worker/friend I mentioned above, and I are getting together outside of work for the first time. She's coming over to my place and then we're going out to dinner. I'm always a little nervous to hang out with work people outside of work - I mean, what if it's horrible? Then, for the next few years, you still have to see that person every day? But, because I adore Daria, I'm confident that we'll have a great time. And, if not, I'll just have to find a way to get her fired. :)

Expect pictures of our night tomorrow!

I can't be out too late, though, because tomorrow morning starting at 6am I'm doing a radio tour to promote The Tonight Show's WHO WANTS TO BE A CORRESPONDENT?. To learn more about it, click HERE.

A radio tour is where I sit at home and an operator connects me via phone to radio stations all around the country. Wanna listen? Here's a list of all the radio stations I'll be on tomorrow morning! If one of them is in your area, listen in! (Note: all times are Pacific Standard times, so convert them to whatever time zone you're in).

6:00 AM – WTWR, Michigan/Syndicated, “Johny D and the Morning Crew”
6:10 AM – WNDB/WNDA/WFHG, Florida & Virginia Markets, “The Marc Bernier Show”
6:20 AM – WXRK, Cleveland/Syndicated, “Rover’s Morning Glory”
6:30 AM – KPWR, Los Angeles, CA, “Big Boys Neighborhood”
6:40 AM – WMEE, Ft. Wayne, IN, “Craig & Sam in the Morning”
6:50 AM – WHTS, Grand Rapids, MI, “The Dave & Geri Show”
7:00 AM – WYOY, Jackson, MS, “Morris & Bender”
7:10 AM – WBAL, Maryland, Washington, Virginia mkts, “Dave Durian”
7:20 AM – KPLX 99.5 The Wolf, Dallas/Ft. Worth, TX, “Wake Up w/the Wolf”
7:30 AM – ZITO & GARRETT Morning Show, Florida markets
7:40 AM – WMYX, Milwaukee, WI, “Jane & Kidd”
7:50 AM –WDEK/WRZA/WKIE, Chicago, IL, “Nine FM w/Steve & Joey”
8:00 AM – WBMX, Boston, MA, “John Lander & Kelly Malone”
8:10 AM – KMTT, Seattle, WA, “John & Mike”
8:20 AM – KHYL, Sacramento, CA, “Morning Groove Crew”
8:30 AM – THE RON SEGGI SHOW - Nationally Syndicated
8:40 AM – KAJA, San Antonio, TX
8:50 AM – WNIC, Detroit, MI

Until then, blog buddies!
Ross

Click HERE for our CHAT ROOM.
Click HERE for my official MySpace page.

Happy Monday, blog buddies!

Tonight my friend Ryan is coming over to have a mini-party, make dinner and watch Studio 60 on the Sunset Strip (I was a huge fan of The West Wing and I hope this show is just as good). We're also going to watch today's episode of Oprah - she and Gayle, her best friend, took a road trip across the country. I don't know about you, but in my opinion:

Oprah + Gayle + road trip = television magic.

Last week I decided that I need a new bedroom set. Seriously. Right now, my "set" includes a couple of Ikea shelves, a nightstand I got on clearance at Target, and a dresser that my friend found on the street in Korea Town when I was still in college (I've since painted it twice in failed attempts to give it new life).

So to keep my mind off food yesterday (the official start of my new healthy living lifestyle diet), I went out on the town to browse furniture stores. Let me first tell you that there is so much ugly crap out there, it's not even funny. Plus, they charge you like $4,000 for ugly crap. I'm not kidding.

I did, however, find one set that I think I might have to get. I really liked it, but I loved the fact that it was 50% off and then another 20% off that. Right?!? But I have a few more places to check out before I commit to anything. I'll update you later...

Speaking of my healthy living lifestyle diet, I took my camera with me to the NBC commissary today to document my daily inner struggle. Look how seriously confused and nervous I look as I walked into the NBC commissary:

Dragging my broken spirit behind me and ignoring the scent of tator tots and chicken strips, I limped to the salad bar and began building the healthiest salad I could imagine.

I didn't escape unscathed, though. To leave, I had to walk by the cake section. Here I am yearning for chocolate cake.

Now, listen. Never once have I even ever gotten chicken strips or chocolate cake at the NBC commissary. EVER. But now, since I can't have them, I want them both. I need them both. I need them like I need oxygen or cable television.

But I took a deep breath and kept walking. I feel empowered. I feel proud. I feel like I must have lost at least a quarter of a pound since yesterday.

And it turned out that my salad wasn't half-bad. (It wasn't half-good, either, but still...)

Okay, blogaroonies - until tomorrow!
Ross

Click HERE for our CHAT ROOM.
Click HERE for my official MySpace page.

Happy lazy Sunday, blog buddies!

I have to admit something to all of you. I've caught the fever. The JT fever. I'm obsessed with Justin Timberlake's new CD and there's nothing I can do about it.

I've tried taking it out of the CD player and putting something else in, but then I begin ignoring whatever's on and start singing to myself, "Oh there's somethin' 'bout the way you do the thing you do when you do the thing you do it's got me - oh oh oh!"

I need help. But not yet.

Also, I'm SO SO SO excited because it's football season and my Sundays actually have meaning once again! In fact, I'm on my couch right now watching a game! Add to that the fact that regular TV is coming back this week, and I am one happy television viewer.

Last night I went over to my friend Kim's house for some dinner and wine and a pow-wow so we could discuss plans for my upcoming birthday. I'm turning 22... for the 5th year in a row.

Today I went grocery shopping with my new healthy lifestyle in mind - I flew past the Baked Lays aisle on my way to the produce section. My fridge is now stocked with nothing but grapes, carrots and apples. I'm starving.

For those of you who are new around these parts, Sunday's are sometimes reserved for easy going blogs. To spice things up, though, I try to share a LAZY SUNDAY LINK.

Today's LAZY SUNDAY LINK is...

Justin Timberlake's MySpace page! Click HERE.

Enjoy the song titled "LoveStoned" - it's currently my 2nd favorite on the album after "Damn Girl". But since I can't find "Damn Girl" on the web anywhere, my 2nd fav will have to do for now.

Enjoy, blog buddies
Until tomorrow!
Ross

Click HERE for our CHAT ROOM.
Click HERE for my official MySpace page.

Hola, blog buddies?

Did you watch me and my doggie Louise on The Tonight Show last night? Didja didja? I think it's unanimous: Louise is a STAR.

Today, after sleeping in a bit, I finally dragged my lazy ass out of the house to Starbucks and then out shopping. I don't really need anything specific, so I don't know why I went shopping exactly. Perhaps I'm trying to fill a void deep inside myself with material things rather than examining what I need on a human level? Ehh... I'm fine with it.

Plus, I had a coupon for 20% off anything at the place that rhymes with Ned Nath & Neyond.

I thought I new where the store was, but it turns out that I really had no idea. I moved to my new house in a new city over 3 months ago, but I'm still not totally familiar with everything yet. So a trip that should have taken me 5 minutes or so turned into an hour adventure.

Oh well, though. At least I got to know the city better. And I got a new rug for my kitchen.

And, while I was out, I grabbed lunch at a place called Chipotle. I'd never been there before, but it's kind of like Baja Fresh. Since I'm on a diet (after seeing myself on TV last night), I just got a light salad... which they proceeded to cover in cheese and sour cream. Next time I'll know to ask for it without the fat.

Then I came home, ate my salad, decided I hated my new rug, and watched reruns of Trading Spaces on TLC.

Tonight I'm going out with my friend Kim. Or maybe we'll stay in. Either way, we're hanging out.

What are you doing with YOUR Saturday night?

Until tomorrow, blog buddies!
Ross

Click HERE for our CHAT ROOM.
Click HERE for my official MySpace page.

Hola, blog buddies!

And welcome to you NEW blog buddies who are visiting for the first time after seeing my VIDEO BLOG segment on The Tonight Show! Stay around and check things out - we have a lot of fun around here!

Right now, in fact, there are probably a bunch of people hanging out in ROSS CHAT! Click HERE to go our chat room!

Also, click HERE to go to my official MySpace page - let's be friends!

I've already posted a blog entry for today (scroll down and see below), but like I do after every segment of mine airs on the show, I'm posting a 2nd entry today so you can all see what went on today behind-the-scenes. Who takes care of his blog buddies?!? I do!

After I went into the office early this morning to record some more voice over for tonight's segment, I went shopping for something to wear on the show tonight. My signature look is always the same - bright floral or paisley shirt, jeans and possibly a blazer. I was kind of in the mood to shake things up a bit today so I was THRILLED when I found a chocolate brown shirt (a pretty muted color for me) with - get this - little dog paws printed all over it. Seriously! And guess what else. IT WAS ON SALE FOR $20!!! Seriously! Here's a close up of one of the little paw prints:

Kinda cute, right? And kinda weird, too... in a good way.

Then I went back to NBC and settled into my dressing room. I don't care how many times I'm on the show - it's always surreal to walk into a Tonight Show dressing room with your name on the door and The Tonight Show logo on the monitor.

This was a very special Tonight Show segment for me because it involved my paw-fect little dog-ter, Louise. (Click HERE for a behind-the-scenes video of the day we shot tonight's segment!) In fact, it was extra special because I got to bring her with me to the show today! Here she is right when we got to NBC. You can totally tell that she can totally tell that something's up.

After rehearsal, Tonight Show announcer and my good friend John Melendez stopped by to wish me luck. How nice, right?!?

The part when I go out on stage with Jay before the segment airs is always lightly scripted - we write the basic structure of what we'll say, but when we're out on stage we always make it up as we go. For some reason, however, I always memorize the script anyway. Here I am after I changed into the dog paw shirt and a blazer going over my lines.

Then Roberta, the stage manager, came to get me and tell me it was time to go on. You guys - it will never be "normal" to be backstage of The Tonight Show knowing that Jay Leno is about to call your name. It's like the biggest rush ever. This time Louise got experience the rush, too - she got to come on stage with me!

I may be used to the high-paced world of show business, but Louise isn't. After the show, she was pooped.

In fact, I'm kinda pooped, too. I think I'm just going to stay in tonight and watch TV. Kinda boring, right? Oh well.

Don't forget to check back in tomorrow - I blog 7 days a week!

Until then, blog buddies!
Ross

Hey blog buddies!!!

So, first thing first:

I'M ON THE TONIGHT SHOW TONIGHT, FRIDAY SEPTEMBER 15th!!!

Watch it or tape it or Tivo it or whatever, just don't miss it! Tonight's segment is the first installment of my VIDEO BLOG - we're taking this blog to the next level by making it come to life on The Tonight Show. Basically, we follow me around as I take my dog to the vet and hang out with Victoria Secret models - you know, just normal everyday kinda stuff.

But you won't want to miss it because I give several shout-outs to my beloved blog buddies!

Also, if you want to watch the segment with other ROSS BLOGGERS, you can drop into our CHAT ROOM (click HERE) while the segment is airing to talk about it live! Fun, right?!?

In other news...

Last night I went to a fancy bar in Hollywood to attend a book release party for someone I don't even know. Why'd I go? Free food and alcohol. That, and I was invited.

I went with my former roommate/good friend Travis. When we showed up, there was a red carpet and everything. Now, I'm not a super star by any means and when a red carpet opportunity presents itself, I should jump at the chance to try to get some publicity. But it's too weird. I'm serious. I feel like, "Who cares that I'm here?" So I always avoid them and walk as quickly as I can around them and into the event.

Once inside, I had two things on my mind:

1 - I didn't know anyone besides my friend and...
2 - I was starving.

Luckily, I noticed that there were chips on the tables to snack on. That is, until I got close enough to realize they weren't potato chips - they were rose petals.

You can take the boy out of the country...

Then it got kinda awkward. I mean, I didn't know anybody and everybody who was there was one of THEM - you know: the beautiful people. LA is full of them and, although they're probably perfectly nice/wonderful people, they're intimidating.

So I kind of just stood in the corner and sipped my free drink.

And then we left and went to go see my friend Jackie Beat host a night of karaoke at Hamburger Mary's in West Hollywood.

Now THIS is more my style.

After I ordered chicken fajitas, I sat for LITERALLY almost 3 hours and watched people sing. I LOVE KARAOKE AND I AM NOT ASHAMED!

It was also fun because sat with my hysterical friend Kate Flannery from The Office!

When karaoke was over, we walked down the street to go to Fubar where my other friend (club promoter Mario Diaz) hosts a night every Thursday night. By the looks of it, Mario was happy to see us!

After some hello's, I left for home. I mean, after all, I did need my beauty sleep, right?

Now I'm off to the mall to find something to wear on the show tonight. I stared at my closet for like 20 minutes today and couldn't find a single thing I wanted to wear. Wish me luck.

Oh! And make sure you check back later this evening for exclusive behind-the-scenes pictures from my day!

See you later, blog buddies!
Ross

Happy Thursday, blog buddies!

It is SUCH a glorious day here in Southern California.

Finally finally finally the heat has subsided and it’s foggy and cloudy and chilly - highs in the mid 70’s and I’m in a long sleeved shirt, jeans, and shoes. Shoes! It’s slowly becoming fall and I am SO excited about it! If you’ve read this blog, you know that summer is not my favorite season. I’m a cool weather kinda guy.

Because I had such an eventful day yesterday, I decided to work from home today. “Working from home” is basically like going to work and doing all the same stuff you’d normally do, except you do it in your pajamas while you watch Roseanne reruns on Oxygen.

In addition to doing my work duties, I did the same thing I do every time the weather starts to get cold: I made homemade soup. This time, however, I’ve taken it to the next level. I made soup in the crockpot. Amazing, right?!? As soon as I’m done blogging, I’m having a bowl for lunch.

I have a bunch of silly rituals like this. Whenever the weather starts to get cold I switch colognes, I switch the socks to a more compatible drawer and I take all my blazers to the dry cleaners. I don’t know why, it’s like clockwork.

Last night as I tried to go to sleep I was still SO excited about Rosie talking about me on The View that I couldn’t sleep - I just kept tossing and turning. Plus, I couldn’t get comfortable because I splurged and spoiled myself by buying brand new fancy firm pillows. I seriously think I’ve been using the same pillows since college. I was doing laundry the other day and when I took the pillow case off and looked at my bare pillow I got totally grossed out. Have you ever closely examined your naked pillows?!? Trust me, it’s gross.

Anyway, I couldn’t sleep AT ALL. So finally I got up and took a sleeping pill – one of the good ones you have to get from the doctor. Well… cut to me 8 hours later waking up in a position that could only be described as looking like a “capitol G.” Seriously. My head was “resting” on the pillow like it was marble on a Lego. I’m sure the pillows will loosen up, though, and will be fantastic in the long run. If not, oh well.

Tonight I’m going to a book release party (more info tomorrow) and then to my friend’s show.

Don’t forget: I’M ON THE TONIGHT SHOW TOMORROW NIGHT!!! Make sure you watch!

Hope you have a great day, blog buddies!
Ross

PS – The reason today’s blog went up late is because the internet service in my neighborhood went out today… the ONE day I decide to blog from home. Typical!

PPS - I had to come into work to get this blog up! FREAKIN' TECHNOLOGY!!!

Why should you invest in diapers?

Because if I have anymore mornings like I had today, I'm going to be buying them in bulk.

Here's how it happened:

7:45am: Buzz buzz buzz. The alarm goes off. Louise, my paw-fect amazing genius little dog-ter, stretches and yawns. I get out of bed.

7:55am: After taking Louise outside for a quick potty, I go into the living room and realize that I left my laptop on and unplugged all night, so I can't check my email or the blog. "Crap!"

8:30am: After watching a bit of Meredeth's first day on The Today Show, I start getting ready for the day.

9:30am: I'm all done getting ready and it's time for Louise's morning walk around the neighborhood.

9:50am: We get back from our walk and I grab my car keys to head to work. Ring ring ring. My work cell starts to ring. It's Daria, my office mate/co-worker/friend. Our conversation goes something like this:

Me: Hey Dar.

Daria: Hey. So I assume you've been reading the comments on the blog. Isn't that so cool?!? Do you want to me to tape it in case you miss it?

Me: Huh?

Daria: The View.

Me: Huh?

Daria: Rosie talked about you on The View today. The east coast bloggers are posting about it in the comment section.

Me: Huh?!? Wha...?!? Huh?!? Are you serious?!? Oh my God. OhmyGod. OmGod. OmGod. OH MY GOD!!!

Daria: Oh my God, I didn't know your voice could get THAT high!

Me: Shut up!

10:00am: Holding both my breath and the remote, I sit on the edge of my couch waiting and thinking to myself, "Is it really cool that I'm sitting here waiting for Rosie to say my name on The View, or really dumb that I'm sitting here waiting for Rosie to say my name on The View?"

10:01am: I decide it's really cool that I'm sitting there waiting for Rosie to say my name on The View.

10:04am: Rosie talks about me. She says "Ross Mathews". I'm smiling bigger than I ever thought possible. I want to go back in a time machine and tell the 17 year old me about this. ROSIE O-FRICKIN'-DONNELL JUST SAID MY FRICKIN' NAME!!! And not only did she say my name, she said that she loves me, that I'm fabulous, and that she wants me to come on The View and do a musical number with her. O!!! M!!! G!!! This is when diapers would have come in handy.

10:05am: I rewind it and watch it again.

10:06am: I rewind it. Call my mom, hold the phone up to the TV, and play it for her.

10:30am: I leave for work.

10:45am: I get to work and watch it again. Wouldn't you?

Why did Rosie say my name? Here's the story:

Barbara Walters said on The View yesterday that her dog can say "I love you". Rosie said something like, "If your dog can talk, send it to us." My Louise is a genius and can say "I love you", too, so I emailed Rosie a little video of Louise saying it. This morning, Rosie mentioned the video I sent her on The View.

Here's the video I email to Rosie yesterday:

LOUISE.mov

(Note: If you're having a hard time opening it, you might try clicking HERE and downloading the newest version of Quicktime - it's FREE and it worked for me!)

Crazy dreams come true, blog buddies. Even on an everyday ordinary ho-hum Wednesday. Take it from me.

Until tomorrow, blog buddies!
Ross

FIRST THINGS FIRST!!!

I have a segment airing on The Tonight Show this coming FRIDAY and it involves YOU, the bloggers!

We're doing an experimental new segment based on this blog. We like to call it a VIDEO BLOG or VLOG. On Friday, you'll see me taking my doggie Louise to the vet and hanging out with the Victoria Secret supermodels. You know - just an average day in the life of Ross. :)

Fun, right?!?

In other news...

Justin Timberlake's new CD FutureSex/LoveSounds comes out today and I'm obsessed. I've been obsessed since N'Sync started. I remember the first time I ever saw an N'Sync poster pointing and saying, "He's my favorite."

His last CD Justified is one of my favorite albums ever and his new one is great, too. GO GET IT! My favorite track so far? Damn Girl. Enjoy!

Also, I'm getting SO excited for Merideth Vierra's debut as the new co-host of The Today Show tomorrow morning! Not excited enough to get up at 7am, but excited enough to set the Tivo tonight before I go to bed. Are you gonna watch?

Today I had to come into work early to start working on the voice overs for the segment airing on Friday. A voice over (or "VO" as we say in the 'biz) is when you hear the person on TV talking but see a video of something else. Make sense?

I snuck a picture of Anthony, the writer/producer who works with me on all my segments, as we went over the VO script. He looks SO serious! Who ever said comedy was easy?!?

We all met in one of the Tonight Show editing booths with Matthew, one of our editors.

Then it was time to record the VO. Here I am with Anthony reading along to make sure I don't make any mistakes.

The trick to doing good VO's, I think, is to really get into it. Here I am "saying something with attitude" as per Anthony's direction. Don't you totally get an "attitude" vibe from me here?!? I'm like the Meryl freakin' Streep of VO's!!!

Tonight I'm just going to stay in and watch the finale of Big Brother, even though my girl Jannelle isn't in the final two and I don't really care who wins at this point. That being said, I want Erica to win because I met her once in a hotel lobby and she was very nice to me.

Right now I'm off to get a haircut because my hair's so big and poofy that I'm giving myself Wayne Newton. Not that there's anything wrong with that...

Until later, blog buddies!
Ross

PS - I want to thank ALL of you who posted on yesterday's blog and shared your personal stories of 9/11. I appreciated each and every one of them!

It instantly became one of those moments: when Kennedy was shot, when Neil Armstrong walked on the moon, Columbine...

I remember I was asleep in my dorm room when my roommate's brother called us and told us to turn on the TV - a plane had hit the Twin Towers. We watched in horror as bad turned to worse and as worse turned into the unimaginable.

One day earlier, September 10, 2001, had been a great day - my first day as an intern at The Tonight Show.

So, blog buddies, on this, the 5th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, where were you? What's your story? I think it's cathartic to talk about it.

We'll be talking about all of that and more in our SYNCHRONIZED CHAT today. I hope you haven't forgotten! What's a SYNCHRONIZED CHAT?!? Click HERE!

And click HERE to go to our CHATROOM. Everyone will be there for today's SYNCHRONIZED CHAT!

When?

TODAY, Sept. 11
12:30pm - 1:00pm (Pacific Time)

Yesterday I went to the swap meet at the Rose Bowl with my best friend Kim. The Rose Bowl swap meet is held every 2nd Sunday of the month (click HERE for more info) and might just be the biggest thing I've ever seen in my entire life.

Seriously. We were there for like 3 hours and probably only saw 8% of the stuff there. There are rows and rows and rows of stuff and crap and unique wonderful knick-knacks you never knew you needed. It's SO much fun to walk around and look at stuff (and people-watch, too!).

The most amazing item? The FISH N' FLUSH toilet. What's that? It's a toilet with live fish swimming around in the top part where the flushy button is. They can, like, live there. I don't really get it, but I saw it with my own eyes and it works. Don't believe me? Look:

See?!? Whoever invented this is seriously a genius. Click HERE for more info.

I ended up only buying one thing - a little framed picture of a bunch of monkey faces. Why? Why not? Plus I thought it would be an interesting conversation piece and it was only a couple dollars.

I've always wanted to buy more, but I'm always talking myself out if it. "Oh... you'll have to carry it all day" or "Oh... it won't fit in your car" or "Oh... you don't really need a lamp in the shape of a giraffe..."

But it was fun and I'm glad I went.

Today after SYNCHRONIZED CHAT (don't forget!), I'm going to finish up some stuff at work and then go home, do some laundry, and watch Monday Night Football (which I think is now on ESPN). Fun, right?

See you in the CHAT ROOM for SYNCHRONIZED CHAT!

Until then, blog buddies!
Ross

Happy Sunday, blog buddies!

My best friend Kim and I went out for drinks last night to the other side of town. Sometimes we like to mix it up and go places we hardly go - new people, new places, new faces.

Right now, we're about to walk the dogs and head out to the swap meet. FUN!

Wish me luck in my search for creepy clown paintings and perhaps a new dresser. Who knows?!? THAT'S the fun of a swap meet, m'friends!

Until tomorrow!
Ross

Happy Saturday, blog buddies!

Ahh... what a lovely Saturday. It's actually livable here in LA temperature wise - lower 80's with a breeze - so my spirits are high and I'm full of get-up-and-go today.

Last night I decided to forgo going out in order to stay in and have a quiet movie night with Louise, but when I was on my balcony watering plants I heard someone call my name. It turns out that my new neighbors are friends with a guy I went to college with! So I ended up going over to my neighbor's house with a bottle of wine for a night of chatting and playing Scattergories. How neighborly and fun, right?!?

Yesterday I told you about the segment I shot with Tonight Show announcer John Melendez for our upcoming web-show on nbc.com (The John & Ross Show - more info to come!). We spent the day learning how to be NBC pages and how to give tours of the NBC studios.

Here's a picture of John and I in our uniforms - it's not the greatest picture because I'm practicing reciting some of the info I just learned, but I have to say that we don't look half bad in those awful polyester uniforms. Not bad at all...

And here's a picture of our little crew, including (from left to right) Jordan, the NBC page who taught us the tricks of the trade, John Melendez (who's standing on his tippy-toes to try to look taller than me), me, and my co-workers Daria and Susan.

I'll fill you in on when you can start enjoying The John & Ross Show on nbc.com when I know more. I promise!

Oh! I also mentioned yesterday that right after I posted the blog I was off to meet with people from my favorite shoe company who made two one-of-a-kind shoes just for me. Here's the story.

A couple of years ago, I fell in love with certain shoe company. As a guy, it's always been hard for me to find men's shoes with personality - most men's shoes are boring black or brown with laces and blah. So when I found out about J Shoes, I went crazy. A few months ago, I bought a couple pairs of shoes from my friend Sara's shoe store, Silverlake Shoes, and blogged about how much I loved them (click HERE to read that entry). Sara sent the link to her contact at the company - a guy named Jeff.

It turns out that Jeff knew who I was and had even seen me wearing J Shoes before on The Tonight Show. Jeff didn't waste any time and got the company to create two new pairs of shoes specifically for me. They designed shoes for people before - Mick Jagger, Earth Wind and Fire, Samuel L. Jackson, and now... me.

Isn't that INSANE?!?

When I met Jeff yesterday and he gave me the shoes, I almost had a heart attack! I love them!

Here's a close up.

And then, it all got to be too much. Jeff told me to look inside the shoe. THEY PRINTED MY NAME INSIDE. THESE ARE ONE OF A KIND "ROSS MATHEWS" SHOES. It may be silly, but I wanted to cry.

Maybe I'm crazy, but I like to think that any red blooded American boy would get emotional in the same situation.

In fact, whether you're a boy or a girl, YOU could have the chance to get free shoes, too! J Shoes is running a promotional campaign right now and maybe YOU'LL be the winner! Click HERE to go to the J Shoes website, click on the SHOES FOR LIFE link and maybe YOU could win 4 pairs of J Shoes every year for the rest of your life! Good luck!

Tonight I'm hanging out with my best friend Kim. Tomorrow we're going to a swap meet! Why? Why not?!?

Enjoy your Saturday, blog buddies!
Ross

Hey gang!

I had to be at work this morning super early to shoot a segment with Tonight Show announcer John Melendez for the upcoming web-show on nbc.com called The John & Ross Show.

I took pictures of our day shooting this web-segment (we each took a turn as an NBC page giving a tour of the NBC studios), but I forgot my camera cord, so I won't be able to post them until tomorrow.

Right now I'm headed to my friend Sara's shoe store (Silverlake Shoes) to meet with the designer of some of my favorite shoes. And guess what - he designed a couple pairs specifically for me and is going to give them to me today!!! WOW, right?!? More info (and pictures) tomorrow!

Then I'm grabbing lunch with my friend Jackie and rushing home to take Louise for a nice long walk. I sort of ran out of time this morning and she only got a quick trip outside (as opposed to our usual leisurely morning stroll around the neighborhood).

It has finally cooled down in LA, going from the upper 90's to the lower 80's, and I for one am thrilled. I am NOT a hot weather person and just the thought of Fall or Winter is enough for me to throw open my closet doors and start petting my sweaters and blazers and scarfs - oh my!

I'm not sure what I'm doing tonight. Maybe something super fun. Maybe something sorta fun. Or maybe nothing at all. This week has dragged on and on and on and I'm tired today. Maybe I just need a jolt of caffeine (I was running late and couldn't grab Starbucks this morning, so had to settle for regular coffee and a Diet Coke - NOT enough!).

I'll try to poke my head in the CHAT ROOM tonight - maybe I'll see you there!

And click HERE to go to my official MySpace page to add me as a friend!

Until tomorrow, blogaroonies!
Ross

Happy Thursday, blog buddies!

It's almost Friday - almost the glorious, glorious weekend. Even though this has only been a 4 day week, it still feels like it's been dragging on and on and on...

Last night, I needed to stay home and recoup after the "free alcohol" incident at the Grey's Anatomy party I went to on Tuesday night.

So I kept myself busy redoing my official MySpace page (click HERE), periodically popping my head into the ROSS CHAT ROOM (click HERE), and catching up on this week's Big Brother episodes on Tivo.

How AMAZING has Big Brother been this season?!? My girl from the get-go, Janelle, is still staying strong and will hopefully be in the final two! If you don't watch Big Brother, than I'm sorry for you because you are seriously missing out. :)

The other day in the COMMENT SECTION (below) I promised some of you bloggers that I'd post pictures of Louise in yesterday's blog, but I totally forgot. So, to pay you back, last night I took out the camera and snapped some pictures of my paw-fect little dog-ter to post today.

I think she was a little bored with me last night. She kept looking at me like, "Wow. Another night lying on the couch watching TV. Cool, Daddy."

She perked up, though, when Project Runway came on and I opened up a bag of those parmesan and garlic pita chips from Trader Joe's. I didn't raise no fool!

Did you watch PR last night? I wasn't very impressed with any of the dresses, but I also can't imagine that it's easy to create a couture dress in less than 2 days.

In other news...

Today, I totally need to remember to swing by the pet store to buy some more poo bags for Louise. I ran out yesterday and had to use an old grocery bag today to clean up her "messes" during our walk. I'm always cautious to use those, though, because sometimes old grocery bags get little holes in them and you don't realize it until it's too late. WAY too late...

When I went to the dumpster in my complex to throw her poo bag away, I noticed a really cute desk sitting right next to the dumpster. Someone had obviously placed it there to throw it away. Well, I've been searching forever for a new desk for my home office, but haven't found anything that I really love (or that's in my price range). Well this one is totally cute (metal and glass) and totally in good condition (even the wheels on the legs work) and $0.00 is totally in my price range.

So I rolled it down the driveway and into my garage. AndIdon'tevencare. What's old is new again, my friends.

Oh, and I need to talk to you about something...

Yesterday, after getting reports from the people at nbc.com that our little blog has over 70,000 hits so far (since it's official launch on August 8, 2006), I got totally thrilled. Like, THAH-RILLED. So thrilled, in fact, that I announced a new plan to get ONE MILLION HITS BY DECEMBER 6TH.

I still think that's a great goal. I think it's important to set high standards and to do whatever it takes to reach a certain potential.

But... Oopsies!!! I think I may have just maybe over estimated that goal just a little bit maybe. So I've come up with a new, more realistic goal!

A QUARTER OF A MILLION HITS BY THE END OF 2006!!!

It doesn't exactly have the same "ring" as the old slogan, but still - it's a great goal and I think we can totally succeed! What do YOU think?!?

Oh, and it's that time again - time to announce yet another SYNCHRONIZED CHAT!!!

SYNCHRONIZED CHAT is like scheduling an important meeting or appointment — I’ll tell you a specific time that I’ll be in the CHAT ROOM so that YOU can come in and join ME and all the other bloggers in our blogerhood. This will be a great chance for us all to get to know each other better and to welcome some of you new bloggers that haven’t ventured into our CHAT ROOM yet!

But remember — SYNCHRONIZED CHAT isn’t the only time I’ll be in the CHAT ROOM! I’ll pop in other times, too!

Our next scheduled SYNCHRONIZED CHAT will be…

Monday, September 11th
12:30pm - 1:00pm (Pacific Time)

Click HERE for our CHAT ROOM

We can talk and laugh and share our thoughts/feeling about the anniversary of 9/11. Keep your eye out for reminders about the next SYNCHRONIZED CHAT in the next few days and I'll see you there!

Okay, until tomorrow gang!
Ross

Hola, blogaroonies!

If you read yesterday's blog, you know that last night I was invited to attend the DVD release party for the 2nd season of one of my favorite shows on TV right now, Grey's Anatomy!

The event was held at a club in Hollywood called Social Hollywood and was really nice - free yummy food, free drinks, lots of fun people, and most of the stars of the show. Fun!

Unfortunately, they wouldn't let me take my camera into the event to take pictures for you, my beloved bloggers. So, instead, the publicist sent me some in-house photos that were taken and I "doctored" them just a little.

Here's a birds eye view of the party - gorgeous, right?!?

(I'm sitting somewhere near where my head is.)

Here are Ellen Pompeo and Patrick Dempsey, two of the stars of the show.

Here are two more stars of the show, Jeffrey Dean Morgan and Chandra Wilson.

I spent most of the evening with my best friend Kim and her boyfriend Dietrich Underpants. The rest of the time I hung out with my new obsession, Lara Spencer (co-host of The Insider) and her husband David. I have a HUGE friend crush on both of them! They're grrrrrreat!

It was such a fun night. However, I might have indulged in one too many free drinks, because I have a twinge of a headache today. Oopsies!

In other news...

I need your help. I am so proud of this blog, you guys. SO proud! In fact, as of this morning, since this blog has debuted on nbc.com (on August 8 after moving from my personal site), we've gotten 70,016 hits! Can you believe that?!?

But now I'm thirsty for more. I WANT 1 MILLION HITS!!! And I want 1 MILLION HITS BY DECEMBER 6TH!!!

That's 3 months from today. What do you think - can we do it?!? I think we can, but only with YOUR help!

I need you to tell EVERYONE you know to check out this blog. I want you to tell your friends, your family, your doctor, your veterinarian, your hair stylist and the guy who fixes your car -- EVERYONE!

I know this blog lives and breathes because YOU, my faithful blog buddies. And I'll never forget your help.

In fact, I'm naming today BLOGGER APPRECIATION DAY! Every now and then I'll have a BLOGGER APPRECIATION DAY and will give something fun away. What am I giving away today...?

Well, last night when we left the party we got a gift bag containing the complete 2nd season of Grey's Anatomy on DVD, the soundtrack to Grey's Anatomy, a book about Grey's Anatomy and book called "Shop Seattle" (the show takes place in Seattle). This gift bag was only handed out to those who were invited to last night's party.

Well... I got 2 of them. :) And OF COURSE I'm gonna take care of my blog buddies by giving one away to YOU! Here I am doing my best Vanna White impression with the items in the gift bag:

Here's how you can win it. Be the FIRST PERSON to answer the following question in the COMMENT SECTION (below) correctly and YOU WILL WIN!

Question: What college did I go to, what year did I graduate, and what was my major?

Will YOU be the first to answer and the winner of the Grey's Anatomy gift bag?!? Let's see who wins...!

Thanks for EVERYTHING, blog buddies!
Ross

Happy Tuesday, blog buddies!

Did you watch our blog-friend Rosie O'Donnell debut on The View this morning?!? I thought she was FANTASTIC - funny, bright, honest, etc.

It was SO great to see her back on TV. I was a HUGE fan of her talk show back in the day. In fact, her talk show was one of my main inspirations for pursuing my dream of becoming a talk show host.

Back in April, my life-long dream of meeting Rosie came true when she was a guest on The Tonight Show (click HERE for that blog entry). She was everything in real life that I had ever dreamed she would be.

After our meeting, many of you bloggers posted comments and sent me emails saying, "You should have asked Rosie to take our Celebrity Pop Quiz!" To be honest, it didn't even cross my mind to ask her when I met her. So far, the celebs who have taken the quiz (Gwyneth Paltrow, Anderson Cooper, Jenny McCarthy - click on each celeb's name to read their CPQ) have been friends of mine, so the thought of asking a real live celeb/idol of mine to take our little Celebrity Pop Quiz was a tad daunting.

(What's a CPQ? Click HERE.)

A couple months later, after Rosie mentioned on her blog that she'd take the Celebrity Pop Quiz if I asked her to (click HERE to read that - it's the 3rd question down), I decided to try to get in touch with her by going to her blog (click HERE) and submitting an ASK RO question. Later that day, I got an email from her agreeing to take the quiz.

You submitted your questions to me, I narrowed them down to 10, sent them to Rosie, and now, on the very day that Rosie started her new job as co-host of The View, I am proud to present to you...

********************

1) From PJ - What is always always always in your refrigerator?

helmens mayonnaise

2) From Shoogy - What is your idea of a "perfect day"?

sun in florida
the boat with kids
dolphins

3) From Pinky - What reality show(s) do you watch? I think you, Ross and I should go on "The World Series of Pop Culture" on VH1!

almost all
except the bachelor

4) From Shirl - Is there anyone that you really really want to meet but haven't yet?

eminem

5) From Glynis - What is the nicest thing a stranger has ever done for you?

given birth 2 my kids

6) From Canadian Girl - Have you ever been fired from a job in show business (or any job) and, if so, why?

never
unless u count the magazine
they kinda fired me

7) From Tim - Is there anything you feel like you are missing out on and/or can't do or achieve because of your celebrity?

go to the beach

8) From Veronica - I admire so much that you utilize your celebrity to do so much good in the world. Did you find that you were scared or nervous at first to be so outspoken? Did you worry how it might affect you if people didn't like your "message"?

i do worry
hear the voice saying no
but i breathe
and follow my gut

9) From Chilei17 - If you could go back in time and redo just one thing in your life, what would it be and why?

a happy day pre 1973

10) From Jim - Would you please dress up as Star Jones for Halloween on The View?

no i cannot

EXTRA CREDIT - From Ross - What's your favorite thing about Ross?

he is a cutie patootie

********************

Thanks SO much, Rosie!!!

What do YOU think of Rosie's answers?!? Go to the COMMENT SECTION (below) and let us know!

Until tomorrow, blog buddies!
Ross

PS -- I totally forgot! Tonight I'm going to a DVD release party for the 2nd season of Grey's Anatomy!!! I hear that all the stars of the show will be there and even though the invite says NO PERSONAL PHOTOGRAPHY, I'm going to try to sneak somethin' in to get a little somethin' somethin' for my bloggin' buddies!

Happy Labor Day, blog buddies!

I spent yesterday having a great BBQ at my house with a few friends. I moved into my new house way back in June and have been meaning to have a BBQ since then, but life has gotten away from me and I hadn't even had time to buy a BBQ, let alone get BBQ fixin's ready to eat.

But that all changed yesterday when my best friend Kim and her boyfriend (who prefers not to be photographed for this blog and asks that I refer to him as "Dietrich Underpants"... he's a bit odd in a good way) went to the hardware store and bought what I think might just be the cutest BBQ ever.

The guy who worked there said, "This BBQ is great for urban living" and I though "GREAT!" because that's exactly what I was looking for. Since my little backyard is still just a pile of weeds, I'm using my upstairs balcony as my socializing area and the BBQ needed to be compact enough to fit.

Dietrich Underpants put it together and Kim and I chopped veggies and picked the perfect BBQing soundtrack (which, after much debate, ended up being Boyz II Men Greatest Hits).

We made veggie kabobs, tofu hotdogs and turkey burgers. Yummy in my tummy!

Here are the kabobs on the barby:

And here I am giving Kim and our mutual friend, Darrell, a lesson on cooking burgers (actually, I was totally making it up as I went along, but I kinda totally look like I know what I'm talking about, don't you think?!?):

It was so nice to be with friends, cooking and drinking and smiling and laughing. It's part of what life's all about, I think.

And then, sadly, late last night I was shocked and saddened to hear the news of the death of Steve Irwin, The Crocodile Hunter (click HERE). I met Steve only once when we shot a Tonight Show segment together about a year ago. I'll never forget how calm and comforting he was towards me, even though I was frightened terribly by the snakes, spiders and crocodiles that he introduced me to. He was an avid animal lover who, when I told him about my adopted dog Louise, said, "Oh, mate - good for you."

We should all be so lucky to live our passion.

It's so hard to say goodbye...

Until tomorrow, blog buddies.
Ross

I'm such a dork! I got so busy today with shopping and buying a BBQ (yeah!) and getting ready to have friends over to cook on my brand new BBQ (yeah!) that I ran out of time to blog!

Now I have to prep the food to BBQ (yeah!), so I don't have any more time.

But expect pictures tomorrow from my BBQ (yeah!) today!

Sorry, gang!

Until tomorrow!
Ross

Heya, gang!

I'm feeling much better today. I risked going out last night to dinner and drinks with my best friend Kim and I think it payed off - it just felt SO good to be part of society again! Since I got back last weekend from visiting my mom in Washington State I haven't really been out of the house except for going to work. Laughing and talking and being around people was exactly the medicine I needed.

It didn't hurt, too, that I could sleep in today. So far, I've spent my Saturday doing some much needed domestic maintenance on my house: laundry, dishes, vacuuming, dusting, and just plain organizing crap that has gotten out of hand. Seriously, you guys, I counted 13 tabloids on my coffee table (Us Weekly, Star, In Touch Weekly, etc.), not to mention the monthly magazines like Vanity Fair and Vogue. I think I'm obsessed. I'm not kidding. If I stopped buying magazines, I could live like royalty. But, then again, I'd never know about Ashlee Simpson's new face or who Lindsay Lohan is dating. I couldn't live that way.

The promos for the new season of The View are running on TV like cuhrazy and I'm getting SO excited to see Rosie on TV again everyday (starting Tuesday, September 5th)! I think she's going to bring such a great energy to that show and I for one can't wait.

Speaking of Rosie O'Donnell, many of you have written me asking about her and Michelle Kwan's answers to our CELEBRITY POP QUIZ. What's a CPQ?!? Click HERE for more info.

Anyway... it's all my fault. I've gotten so wrapped up in other things that I still haven't sent either of them your CPQ questions. I totally take the blame. BUT, I promise you that I will send Rosie's questions to her today and Michelle will get her questions by the end of the weekend. I PROMISE! Okay? Okay. We're good? :)

Okay, I'm off to finish cleaning the house as I listen to The Eurythmics Greatest Hits and then maybe I'll go shopping. I need/want new jeans and I just might treat myself today.

How are you spending YOUR Saturday?!?

Until tomorrow!
Ross

Click HERE for our CHAT ROOM - it's the place to be!.

Click HERE for my official MySpace page - let's be friends!

Happy Friday, blog buddies!

Since it's the Friday before a three day weekend and I still don't feel 100%, I decided to stay home today and blog from my couch. Right now as I type, Louise is snacking on a bowl of food, I'm under a blanket with the air conditioner on (sorry Al Gore - just one day, I promise!), and a Sex and the City marathon is on the TV. I hate being sick, but sick days aren't so bad.

In other news, it's the 1st of the month - time to announce the BLOGGER OF THE MONTH!

The BLOGGER OF THE MONTH is always voted on by both you, the blog readers, and me, the blog writer. I created this honor because I wanted to publicly recognize those of YOU who go above and beyond the duties of an average blogger. Some people have received this honor because they're always welcoming to newbies in the chat room, others because they comment everyday and bring energy to the blog, and others because they've created web-spaces outside of this blog for us all to hang out.

But the common thread is that the BLOGGER OF THE MONTH extends him/herself to people they only know from here - a growing blog community that I am so proud to be a part of. Click HERE to read about all our prior BLOGGERs OF THE MONTH.

This month's BLOGGER OF THE MONTH is no exception:

Jeanne
BLOGGER OF THE MONTH
September, 2006

Here's the story:

Joey from SC, a regular blogger around here and prior blogger of the month (click HERE), had computer issues and, due to circumstances out of his control, didn't have access to another computer. Joey had become a staple around here and his presence was greatly missed.

Jeanne went above and beyond the call of duty as a blogger by donating her old laptop to Joey, a total stranger to her outside of this blog, so that he could come back to blog with us everyday. She sent her old laptop to former BLOGGER(s) OF THE MONTH Berry and Glynis (click HERE) for Berry to fix it, after which it was sent to Joey.

I'm moved by this kind of generosity and am proud to be associated with a blog responsible for bringing together these types of people.

Congrats, Jeanne!

In her own words:

OMG, I'm overwhelmed and can't believe that I've been chosen to be September's BotM! Much mahalo goes out to those that nominated me! So, here's a little bit about me... I was born and raised in Wahiawa, Hawaii, and am a true "local" girl at heart. I went to school at the University of Oregon in Eugene (though I didn't get my degree from there!) and thus started my love affair with the Pacific Northwest and coffee! I moved back to Hawaii in the early 90s and entertained thoughts of moving back to the Mainland, but can't seem to part with this beautiful place that I call home! I actually now live in Honolulu, but my parents and my beloved doggies still live in Wahiawa, in the home that I grew up in. I'm usually MIA on the weekends on the blog and in chat because I'm out in Wahiawa soaking up as much Emma and Chloe time that I can get! One more thing about me, I HATE and I mean HATE taking pictures, and honestly was hard pressed to find a decent picture of me actually facing the camera. So, the best that I could do was a picture with my baby-girl, Chloe, in which I look horrible and she looks unhappy! The first time I saw Ross on The Tonight Show was when he interviewed Gwenyth Paltrow and they agreed to become BFFs. That segment cracked me up and I was hooked and have been following Ross' career ever since. I happened to be on the NBC website looking for the schedule of Olympic events in Torino when I stumbled upon his blog. I loved, loved, loved reading his blog and got a kick out of the comments that were posted, but was still not brave enough to post myself, and I remained a lurker. After the Olympics, I signed up to receive updates on Ross' website and when he started his daily blog, I was again hooked and HAD to start posting. And, I'm glad that I did, because through the blog and through RossChat, I've met the most amazing people. Part of the group of amazing people that I met was a really special guy, Joey. He adds so much fun and humor to the blog and chat and I felt like Joey and I had bonded one late night (for me, early morning for him) when we were exchanging emails via Myspace and he told me about losing his computer. I had just began taking classes to work on my Masters degree and bought a new laptop, since my old one had been corrupted and infested with spyware and such. That poor little laptop sat in a bag, in a dark corner of my apartment waiting to be fixed up, loved and used. A couple of months had passed, and there was no Joey online, and the idea finally dawned on me to send the computer to Joey (should have thought of it sooner!). I used to work for an IT consulting company and one of my co-workers from there now owns his own business. He used to be our network guy and originally setup that laptop for me to use at work and at home. I asked him if he thought the laptop would be able to be reconfigured and used and he said he thought so. And, being the great kid that he is, he wiped out everything and cleaned off the drives for me for free. He refused payment after I told him what my plan was. After that, off it went to Glynis and Berry. I had e-mailed Glynis asking her if Berry would be able to get the laptop up and running and we agreed to keep our little project top secret, just in case the laptop wasn't able to handle the newer operating systems and software. But, Berry being the guru that he is, was able to get everything setup for Joey, and now we have Joey back online, on the blog and in chat. Without Glynis and Berry, there is NO way that we would have been able to pull this one off! Ross asked me to write about why I decided to donate the computer, and my answer is pretty simple. As I mentioned before, the blog has allowed me to meet really amazing people, people that I think of as part of my Ross Ohana. And, for everyone who has seen Lilo and Stitch, "ohana" means never leaving someone behind. I didn't want to leave Joey behind, and I just plain ole' missed him!

And Joey from SC's side of the story:

After losing access to my computer in late May 2006, I began experiencing withdrawals from the wonderful friends I had met at the Rossblog. I carried on with everyday life, checking the blog from friends' cell phones or the public library. Still knowing a little about what was happening was a great feeling, but it wasn't the same. Many of the bloggers including JACNY, Glynis and Jeff called me regularly and helped to lift my spirits. Little did I know what was going on behind the scenes. After Glynis' random thought post about getting me a computer that noone was using, Jeanne from Hawaii offered to donate me a laptop. On Friday, August 25th when my mailman knocked on my door with a package was the FIRST time I knew what the amazing blogger friends had been up to. It was a laptop mailed from Berry and Glynis(Tech expert Berry did the hookup on it)! I almost fainted. They actually made ME speechless for once! I cannot begin to express the gratitude and tell you how humbled I am to know that such great people still exist in this world! A big thanks to Jeanne, Berry and Glynis, JACNY and any others who had a hand in making it possible for me to return "HOME" to my Blog family in Rossland! I will never be able to repay you for the gratitude you've bestowed upon me! Thanks for letting me come back to LMAO daily with you all!

Again, congrats Jeanne! And welcome back, Joey!

Until tomorrow, gang!
Ross